How To Choose a Rug

Image via Crate & Barrel

Hate rug shopping? Then today’s post is for you. Over the holiday break I helped my mom shop for a new area rug for her Living Room. Like most homeowners we spent time combing through our options and ended up returning the first one we bought. Unlike most homeowners we landed on the perfect rug the second time around *cough* my original choice *cough* and crossed it off our To Do List in less than a week. No exhaustive internet searches, or multiple deliveries, in fact we only shopped one store.

A few days ago we were sitting in the space chatting when the topic of the rug came up again. She mentioned how much more she enjoys the room now because it looks so polished and warm. I want all of my clients to feel proud of their homes so today I’m sharing how to narrow your search and avoid making extra trips by zeroing in on these 5 things.

Size. Start off with the size of the rug. Designers use area rugs to anchor a space and we typically select one rug per furniture grouping. The size of the rug depends on the size of the room and the furniture in the grouping. In the example image you can see that a 5x7 rug is likely too small for the furniture grouping shown but an 8x10 is just right. With a 9x12 rug it would be best to add a second side chair so the rug doesn’t feel too big.

Performance. Will you be placing this rug in a high traffic area? Do you have kids or pets that will be using the space? These are important factors to remember since you may want to choose something that’s durable and cleans up easily. Ruggable anyone?!

Pattern vs. Plain. This might be the trickiest part of the selection process for most homeowners. First, know your design style - if your style is MidCentury Modern you don’t want to search through a stack of traditional style Oriental rugs, it wouldn’t make sense. Second, know whether or not you want the rug to function as a focal point. I like to balance neutral furniture with a patterned rug (making it a focal point) or bolder furniture with a neutral area rug.

Colors. Unless you’re using the rug to introduce a new color you’ll want to search through rugs that fit within the current color palette of the space.

Cost. Finally, one of the best ways to narrow your search is by cost. If you know how much you’re willing to spend on a piece you can use this to refine your search online. If you’re on a budget and you’re not sure how much to spend consider how often you like to redecorate. If you like to redecorate regularly then consider a lower-priced option. If you don’t redecorate often its worth investing in a well-made piece that will last longer.

My final suggestion is to use all of these when searching for your piece. Whether you’re using Google, Pinterest or searching a store site directly try to be as specific as possible, example: “8x10 area rug, modern, red, white, blue”. Both Google and Pinterest will allow you to further refine your search by price so you stay on budget. From here take some time to read the descriptions and reviews to get the best feel for performance and durability. Knowing how to narrow your search in advance will save you on both time and money. Happy shopping!